Dr. Frank McGlone, a pioneer in treating the elderly and a doctor who was still making house calls in his last few months, died April 1 at his Littleton home. He was 92.
McGlone, a gastroenterologist, was one of the founders of the Denver Clinic, which was at 901 E. Colfax Ave., as well as the Medical Care and Research Foundation and the Johnson Clinic.
Each doctor at the Denver Clinic had a different specialty so that people could have access to other specialists. McGlone’s son Dr. Tom McGlone, of Sterling, Ill., said the seven founders took turns visiting rural towns to consult with doctors and hospitals.
Frank McGlone never turned away a patient, even if the person couldn’t pay, according to his daughter Sister Mary McGlone of Denver.
He took time with his patients, and they trusted him fully, his son and daughter said.
One of his basic beliefs was that if people remained “physically and mentally active, had a spiritual attitude and a sense of humor, they could avoid a lot of problems,” Sister Mary McGlone said. His own regimen, she said, was “exercise, the right diet, a positive attitude and a couple of beers a day to relax.”
He quit playing squash only after he had turned 90, she said.
McGlone played several sports and had a football scholarship to Fordham University, but a broken ankle kept him from enrolling. He played on a local baseball team, and an opposing team passed the hat at one of its games and collected enough money to send him to his first year at the University of Colorado, son Tom said. McGlone is in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.
An early skier, McGlone took his children to Congress Park to teach them to ski.
Frank McGlone was born May 5, 1913, in Denver and graduated from Cathedral High School. He earned his bachelor’s and medical degrees at CU. On Aug. 23, 1940, he married Margaret Mary O’Meara. He served in the Army Medical Corps during World War II.
He thought of becoming a Catholic priest but decided that wasn’t for him, daughter Mary said. For years he lived next door to the late Denver Catholic Archbishop James V. Casey, one of his best friends.
For the last four weeks of his life, friends and family gathered daily at his home for a Holy Communion service.
“He was at peace with himself,” Sister Mary said.
In addition to his wife, son and daughter, he is survived by another daughter, Maureen McGlone of Anchorage, Alaska; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his sister, Sister Mary William of St. Paul, Minn.
He was preceded in death by his son Frank McGlone Jr.
Staff writer Virginia Culver can be reached at 303-820-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com.
